1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an automatic operating apparatus for performing the connection and disconnection of a friction clutch for an automatic transmission by converting the rotation of a motor into the axial movement of a piston rod in a hydraulic cylinder.
2. Prior Art
In an automatic transmission, it is known to use an automatic operating apparatus for performing the connection and disconnection of a friction clutch by converting the rotation of a motor into the axial movement of a piston rod in a hydraulic cylinder. Such an automatic operating apparatus for a friction clutch has been disclosed in the Federal Republic of Germany unexamined patent publication No. 4433824. FIG. 3 is a diagramatic plan view of an automatic operating apparatus for a friction clutch disclosed in the above-described unexamined patent publication. In this automatic clutch operating apparatus 51, during connecting the friction clutch (not shown) by rotation of a motor 52, a piston rod 54 is pushed out of a hydraulic cylinder 53 and a crank 56 is rotated. Accordingly, an accumulating means (or spring device) 55, which is provided rotatably on a casing 57, is swayed. Further, the accumulating means (or spring device) 55 receives the pushing force of the piston rod 54 through the crank 56, accumulating the force.
Next, when the motor 52 is driven to rotate in the direction to disconnect the friction clutch, the accumulating means (or spring device) 55 is swayed according to the rotation of the crank 56. At the same time, the accumulating means (or spring device) 55 applies the accumulated force through the crank 56 to the piston rod 54, aiding the driving force of the motor 52 and serving to help the disconnecting motion of the friction clutch. Further, the accumulating means 55 is formed in a large size to keep the disconnecting state of the friction clutch when the whole pressure of the friction clutch is large. As described above, in the conventional automatic clutch operating apparatus 51, the accumulating means (or spring device) 55 is swayed according to the rotation of the crank 56. Consequently, it is required to consider a space for swaying of the accumulating means, so that there is a question of the whole apparatus becoming large in the size.
An object of the present invention is to provide an automatic operating apparatus for a friction clutch which apparatus is smaller in the size than the conventional automatic clutch operating apparatus 51.
The foregoing object is accomplished in an automatic operating apparatus for a friction clutch defined in the following claims.
In the automatic operating apparatus for a friction clutch defined in the following claim 1, the accumulating means does not sway owing to being provided immovably on the casing of the apparatus. Consequently, there is no need to provide a space for swaying, and the occupied space for the accumulating means may be small. As a result, the automatic operating apparatus for a friction clutch according to the present invention can be constituted in a smaller size as compared to the conventional one.